


Mr. Curtis The Waiter

by naturallesbain



Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Anyways, Darrel Curtis centered, Fancy Restuarants, Waiter AU, how tf do you spell that, maybe mafia au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29417553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naturallesbain/pseuds/naturallesbain
Summary: After the Curtis parent's deaths, Darrel takes up two jobs to cover expenses, roofing at a small company, and waiting tables at a fancy restaurant.What could go wrong?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. The Start

It's already been a rough day. A customer had spilled their coffee on my white apron, three orders had been sent back to the kitchen, three waiters had called in sick, and I needed to work overtime. 

I had taken a smoke break, but now I was near the doors where I plugged in the orders, thinking about what had led me here. 

There was my parents dying, hospital bills, Johnny's medical care along with Dally's surgeries, and my brother's therapy that was demanded by the social worker.

I sighed, rubbing my hands through my slicked-back hair and rubbing my sore back as I went over which tables I needed to check on and which sections I was covering. 

"Curtis!" My boss yelled, his booming voice echoing through the kitchen, "You have 5, 7, and 8 you need to check on, now hop to it!"

I rolled my eyes, sighing as I pushed open the double doors and quickly walking over to the first table, number 5. 

"Hello, my name is Darrel and I'll be your server today, can I start you off with any drinks?" I pulled out my notepad, greeting the party of six as I wrote down each order. 

"Margarita, lime, on the rocks," The oldest man said, his voice was rough and he was wearing a suit fit for the church. 

I looked over all of them, they were all dressed incredibly well. Hell, they even smelled rich. Their clothes were satin and velvet which reflected beautifully in the low lighting. 

"Of course, can I interest you in any of our appetizers?" I watched as they all gave a 'no' before I walked off, putting in their drink orders before walking over to another table. 

My nice work shoes clicked across the floor as I stopped in front of another incredibly rich family of four, pulling out my notepad as I prepared to take multiple orders. 

"Is there anything I could get you all to start on? Drinks, appetizers?" I glanced up at them from my notepad, watching the customers think.

They were all dressed much better than the other family. Which was impressive since the family before was dressed like they just came from a church. 

"Yes, can we get a round of waters? And your caesar salad as a starter for the table?" The man sounded posh, dressed in a crisp black suit and gold-encrusted tie clip which probably cost more than my yearly salary. 

"Of course, anything else I can get for you today?" I said, making my voice happy and cheery.

Christ, I needed these tips. 

"No, that's all," The man said, not even bothering to look up from his menu. 

I started to walk away when the woman at the table grabbed my attention. 

"Actually, young man," I turned around at the sound of her voice, stepping closer to her side of the table than his, "Could you get me a coffee with rye?"

I nodded, smiling before going to the back. 

I didn't know what 'coffee with rye meant', but whatever it meant was that they got special treatment. 

I pushed in through the double doors, ripping a page off from my notebook and sending the message through the kitchen.

"Coffee with Rye on table 7!" As I turned on my heel and went to grab the drink orders and drink tray, loading up on the first table's orders before pushing back out the double doors. 

The restaurant was quieter now. The soft jazz from the live musicians was louder now, and I left myself to relax for a moment before serving my first table. 

I quickly arrived -to my dismay-, and set down their drinks, pulling out my notepad and putting the oval black tray under my left arm. 

I scribbled down their orders quickly; the group had picked some of the most expensive items on the menu. 

Wagu with garlic truffle roasted potatoes with flaky gold was what three members got, and the dish was sixty dollars. 

'Jesus, these people are loaded,' I thought as I went back to the kitchen, picking up my second table's drinks. 

I got them quickly, speed walking back to their table to set the drinks down along with extra silverware, plates, and their salad. 

It was then that I noticed the rest of the family. 

The wife -or I assumed it was the wife- was wearing a skin-tight black dress, her hair thrown up in a complicated bun with diamond crystals dotting her hair. 

The daughter was wearing a flowy summer dress, a beautiful white color contrasting against her dark brown hair was loose over her shoulders and curled lightly with gold strands staining her hair. 

The son was wearing a suit similar to his father's. His hair curled, a contrast to his father's bald head. 

He wore a dark blue suit, a similar silver clip with gold flakes dotting it made it apparent he knew his worth. 

The family was young. The father was in his late thirties, his wife in her late thirties, daughter no more than ten, and the son looked to be about Ponyboy's age. 

"Do you want to order now or wait?" I asked, glancing around at the family. 

"No, but I want to speak with your manager," The man said, smiling tightly at me. 

"Yes, sir," I nodded, going to the back. 

I thought I didn't do anything wrong. I followed protocol and what I was supposed to do, but oh well. 

I guess the day could get worse. 

I went to the back, walking through the kitchen to the back, knocking on my boss's door, pushing open the door. 

"Sir, table seven wants to speak with you," My boss's scowl was evident as he stood up quickly, flinging his leather chair back. He pushed past me, speed walking through the kitchen, me on his tail. 

He turned sharply, looking at me. 

"Stay here," Venom laces his voice as he leaned in close to me, sharp, unforgiving green eyes narrowing and burning with anger as he heads out the double doors. 

I was stuck here, for the time being watching my boss's interaction with the family. 

It went calmly. My boss's demeanor had changed to one of surprise as the man handed my boss something before my boss turned back towards the kitchen to tell me what I did wrong. 

He pushed through the doors, stepping inside onto the white tile as he gave me a smirk. 

"Come to my office, Curtis," My boss said. 

I nodded, thinking of how screwed I am if I lose this job. 

He pushed open the door, allowing me inside first and gesturing to the chair across from his desk as he sat down in his. 

The chair felt holy against my aching back, the plush cupping it and easing my sore legs. 

"You aren't in trouble, Curtis," My boss said.

He was a big man, balding, and a thick beard that was groomed neatly. He was rich too, which was evident in the way he decorated everything in his office with gold plating. 

"They wanted to offer a job to you, but you'd still be working under me. You'd be their personal service every time they come here, no matter what. You are to oversee the making of their food, oversee their drinks, everything, but only if you're up to it," My boss continued, folding his arms on the mahogany desk, "You'd have your yearly salary plus theirs, too."

I nodded before I knew the downside. Extra money was everything when you were a greaser. 

"Are you sure?" My boss asked, narrowing his eyes as skepticism laced his voice.

"Of course, I have mouths to feed, sir," I nodded, offering a tight smile. 

My boss nodded, looking down and reaching into his pocket as he pulled out the thickest wad of cash I've ever seen in my life. 

I gaped as he held it up. 

"This is your starter bonus. It's seven hundred dollars," He handed the wad of cash to me, and I took it with shaking hands, not believing that this was mine. 

I ran my thumb over the band that kept it together, flipping through the stack of twenties as my boss continued. 

"You'll finish your shift today, but until they leave, you're only serving them. Understood?" My boss finished. 

I glanced up, nodding my head, "Yes sir." 

"Good, now get out there," My boss stood, and I stood with him, leading the way as I pocketed the cash in my apron and went out to get their orders. 


	2. Sketchy Business (Turn A Blind Eye)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darrel doesn't think too much of it, he just wants whats best for his brothers.

The family wasn't picky, nor did they complain much. They ordered politely, choosing an off-menu item that I didn't even know we had, and only paid attention to me when they needed something. At one point, they even offered a chair for me to rest on, but I knew I needed to look professional, so I stayed standing for the two hours they were there. 

As I was standing there, waiting for them to call me, I thought about why they were doing this. The family had given me the most money I've ever had in my life, and they never sent anything back. 

My hand brushed the wad of cash whenever I reached into my apron pocket. The reassurance got me moving throughout the day. With this money, I could afford to pay off all of my late bills, three of Johnny's medical bills, the next three sessions of therapy, and Dally's operation. It felt amazing. 

So when it was my call to go home, I checked out quickly, racing to my old pick up and sped home. The night sky shone bright and caught on the melting snow that made everything seem like it was glowing.

Pulling into the small driveway, I parked the truck carefully to avoid any leftover ice, hopped out, and started the horrid, icy walk to the door. The walk to the door was the worst walk for several reasons, but the main one was how dark and slippery it was in winter. 

Carefully stepping over and on patches of ice, I made it up the steps, the telltale sound of ruckus and general glee from inside the house melted my heart and cast a small smile across my face. 

Pushing open the door, I looked at the gang. Pony was on the ground in between Johnny's legs on the side of the couch, Two, Soda, and Steve were all sitting on the couch, and Dally was asleep at the dining room table. It was mostly peaceful, though the yelling turned out to be from the t.v. and Steve was poking fun at Two, who was trying to shove Steve off the couch. 

"Alright you two, enough," I snapped at them, popping Steve on the back of his head as I kicked off my work shoes and shrugged off my coat. 

"Hey, Superman!" Two greeted, pushing Steve lightly and laughing. The teen could never take anything seriously. "Was work okay?"

"It was quite alright," I walked over to where Dal was sleeping, checking for any bruises and making sure his head wasn't resting on his still-healing arm and his burnt shoulder wasn't strained. 

Dallas had gotten hurt in the church fire saving Johnny. He had heard Johnny's screams and pulled him out from the blaze, which had left him with quite a few minor -in comparison- injuries.

"You get a raise or somethin'?" Soda questioned, his tone light and sunny as always. 

"Kinda," I went into the kitchen, making sure there were dishes in the sink as proof the boys ate. 

"Whatcha mean?" It was Steve's turn to speak up. I could see the smirk he got on his face whenever he asked a question. 

"A family is payin' me to be their server whenever they come in," I went over to the cabinet, pulling out a glass and filling it with water on the tap. I could hear the stunned silence in the room as they digested the information. 

"Sounds sketchy don't ya think?" Soda was always looking out for everyone, so for him to worry like this wasn't new. 

"Not really. As long as the family keeps me outta their business and they keep payin' me I don't have a problem with it," I stopped in the doorway of the kitchen leaning against it as I sipped from the glass. 

"How much better is the pay?" Soda got up from the edge of the couch, the boy's eyes following him as he stepped towards me. 

"We'll be livin' a lot better, Sodapop," I smiled, and the boy's eyes widened as did Soda's. 

"That good?" Soda asked, a small, relief filled smile breaking out on his face. 

"That good," I nodded, smiling. I returned the cup to the kitchen, setting it on the side for me to wash later. 

I went back outside the kitchen, Soda now on the couch, smiling wide while nudging Ponyboy with his foot. I smiled at the action, knowing that they love each other and weren't fighting anymore was enough to sate me. 

I turned the corner to the bathroom, pounding up the stairs to the left and walking to my room at the far end of the house. I felt lighter than usual like I was drifting across the old wood floors instead of dragging my feet. Maybe it was because of the wad of money in my pocket, or maybe it was because I knew that with this, I'll be able to help my brothers more. 


End file.
